Ventricular cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of putative amino acid transmitters in Parkinson's disease and other disorders.

Concentrations of putative neuroactive substances glutamate, aspartate, gamma-aminobutyric acid, glycine, proline and ethanolamine were determined in ventricular cerebrospinal fluid collected in patients suffering from Parkinson's disease, pain syndromes or cerebellar tremor. Values are similar to those given in the literature for lumbar cerebrospinal fluid. A decrease in gamma-aminobutyric acid in Parkinson patients, as reported in lumbar cerebrospinal fluid, could not be observed. Further evidence for a rostro-caudal gradient for gamma-aminobutyric acid is supplied. New insights into pathophysiological mechanisms in any of the investigated syndromes may not be derived.